Doctors to strike again

The majority of doctors attending the BMA's annual conference voted to escalate industrial action over the pensions dispute.

Last week's strike by doctors affected thousands of patients who were unable to have planned operations or get access to their GPs.

Delegates at the BMA conference in Bournemouth were mostly in agreement that further action was needed as a way of forcing MPs to reconsider pension plans which will make doctors carry on working until they are 68 and make higher contributions while forfeiting their final salary schemes.

The BMA motion stated that further action "should be in conjunction with other public sector unions" and that the BMA's ruling council "should consider a range of options in defence of our pensions".

London hospital consultant Kevin O'Kane, who was responsible for proposing the motion with Anna Athow, a council member, said the decision would prove to the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, that doctors would protest until the pension plans were reconsidered.

Mr O'Kane, who is the chairman of the BMA's London region, said to the meeting: "We need to send out a very strong message to the government that we are serious about this, and get another day of action on the books."

"Let's get more days of action announced and get some momentum around this. Mr Lansley, we are very serious about this and you had better believe it."